Family forced to flee home in Phoebe Prince bullying

A South Hadley Massachusetts woman whose daughter was wrongly accused of bullying Phoebe Prince, the 15-year-old Irish girl who later hung herself, has been harassed out of her home along with her family.

Laurie A. Narey has been flooded with abusive phone calls, emails and messages from places as far away as Germany since her name was placed on Facebook and other sites on a list of kids and parents who were responsible for the death of Phoebe Prince, who hung herself after severe bullying at her school.

Her lawyer, Toby N. Wilson, told the Boston Herald his client feared for her safety.

“It’s been a nightmare,” Wilson said yesterday. “(Narey) couldn’t live in her own house for a week. She got new locks for the door. It’s thrown her life into disarray. Even for a free-speech nut like myself, it’s very scary that someone could see her name and, without even checking to see if they have the right person, assume that they have the right to do this,” Wilson said, adding that Narey will sue for harassment and infliction of emotional distress.

Phoebe Prince had moved with her family from Ireland to the school six month before and was severely bullied after she dated a football player there.

Narey's lawyer stated that some of the postings were removed after she contacted the people and told them they had the wrong person,

But names were still being carried on several websites yesterday including on one that said: “Some one please harass the (expletive) out of them.”

South Hadley police Chief David J. LaBrie said they were aware of many threats.

“We don’t monitor websites; what we’ve asked is for people who find these kinds of threats to collect them and forward them to us,” LaBrie said.